This is the Izmailovsky Kremlin in Moscow. No, it isn’t ancient… it only dates from the late 90s… it’s an urban leisure-time centre with restaurants, clubs, shops, and a wedding palace. In its way, it’s as authentic as any attraction in Vegas or any theme park that you’ve ever visited… that is, not very. However, friends tell me that it’s a fun place and a gas; a nice place to take the family on a weekend.
BMD
Today, Joan Rivers, a gutsy gal if there ever was such, died. She was strong, outspoken, and assertive… her humour was usually blunt, occasionally, offensively so, but in a good way… people offended by humour are usually taking themselves too seriously. Rivers wasn’t merely a strong person; she was a strong woman. She was brash, in-your-face, female but not ‘feminine’, and aggressively Jewish. She took the outsider position, standing up from that position to critique the strong and the powerful. Sure, she wasn’t always politically correct… Rivers not only used the word “tranny”, which many find offensive, but she used it (in 2014) to describe Michelle Obama, and then doubled down, defending herself with her usual gusto and attacking political correctness itself. For fifty years, she spoke truth to power, and managed to end with a punchline. Thank you, Joan. Rest in Chutzpah.
Adapted from an article in the Forward by Jay Michaelson
Circus is one of my fave Soviet films. Even if you don’t know Russian, it’s so visually interesting that you’ll find that you can follow it. It’s a somewhat offbeat comedy… laughter IS universal. Trust me; the Soviet Union wasn’t all heroic tractor drivers and buxom milkmaids…
BMD
Voices from Russia 
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